12,000 evacuated as volcano erupts on Sumatra

08/30/2010

Indonesia has evacuated 12,000 people from villages close to Mount Sinabung, Sumatra, after the volcano erupted for the fi rst time in more than 400 years. According to a Channel NewsAsia report, the eruption has spewed smoke and ash 1,500 metres into the air, creating a blanket of cloud above the city of Medan. One man is reported to have died from respiratory diffi culties. Residents in Medan have been advised to stay indoors, although there were no reports of delays at the city’s Polonia International Airport yesterday.